Iron Man Would the film have failed if

[Herofan]

It had been, without any changes, first released in 2009 or 2010?

Given the financial crash and recession and associated protests against The 1%, would Stark's wealth and hedonism/initial amorality have seemed tone-deaf and unappealing?

Or would the film been changed to avoid those controversies? Or even without changes would the audiences still have been willing to accept the character and story as fantasy and redemption?

 

[Drizzle]

I think it would have still done well if released then. Tony's appeal isn't because he's rich, it's because he uses that wealth to better the world.

But if the same movie were released TODAY with the womanizing playboy Stark whose flight attendants double as strippers after the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements? I don't think those moments would fly without some protest in 2018, even though he changes his ways and dials the debauchery back (in the sequel, at least).

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

... flight attendants double as strippers...

How the other half live, eh?

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

It had been, without any changes, first released in 2009 or 2010?

Given the financial crash and recession and associated protests against The 1%, would Stark's wealth and hedonism/initial amorality have seemed tone-deaf and unappealing?

Or would the film been changed to avoid those controversies? Or even without changes would the audiences still have been willing to accept the character and story as fantasy and redemption?

I don't think it would have been a problem. RDJ/Stark's character is what won people over. He's basically like a kid surrounded by very, very expensive toys. And he made that very engaging.